Bicycle seat height adjuster



Sept. 4, 1951 M. VICK BICYCLE SEAT HEIGHT ADJUSTER Filed July 30, 1948 m 21 m T ski MK E Patented Sept. 4, 1951 l D T O F F 1. CE

- BIQYCLE SEAT HEIGHT ADJUSTER .Millard- Vick, Portsmouth, Va.

Application-July-m), 1948'; Serial'No. 41,592

2 Claims. I

This invention relates to adjustable bicycle seats, and particularly toa device foradjusting and maintaining the height of a bicycle seat at difierent levels.

The main object of my invention is to provide 1 weniently releasable from the position in which it supports the seat in the elevated riding posi- :tion to allow the seat to be lowered at will into the stopping position.

A further object is to provide such a device ..with accessible operative means by which to control the heat height-adjusting device and thereby fl release the same at will.

It is also an object to produce such a seat height-adjuster in simple and yet effective form so that it will be reasonable in cost, durable and not likely to get out of order.

..A practical object is, of course, to make a deivice of this character which does not require rebuilding or serious alteration of the bicycle .to apply it thereto.

' Other objects and advantages of my invention will appear in further detail as the specificaztion proceeds.

In order to facilitate ready comprehension of this invention for a proper appreciation of the .:salient features thereof; the invention is illustrated on the accompanying drawing forming. a

:part hereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of the :frame of the bicycle with the seat adjuster embodying the present invention appliedthereto in raised position for supporting the bicycle seat in'riding position;

Figure 2 is a side elevation as seen from the opposite ide of the bicycle seat height adjuster -alone;

Figure 3 is a top or plan view of the device of Figure 2;

"Figure. 4 is a-;.sectiontaken on line 44 in Figure ,2;

Figure 5 is a transverse ection taken on line. 5+5 in Figure 4.

' In the various views the same parts are referred .to by means of the same reference numerals.

.When riding uponabicycle, it is naturally .necessary. that the seat; thereof. is at the-proper the latter :2 height for. pedaling; comfortably and efliciently with.a .minimum of :fatigue, but such' heightlof thegseat. is determined exclusively. byv this: consideration and bears no relationwhateverto a desirable position of the .rider ofthe bicycle which would facilitate applying the feetto the road when the bicyclehas been temporarily'stopped, Without the rider dismounting from the bicycle. For this purpose, the seatshould necessarilylbe much lower than at the comfortableriding level,'and in fact, should oifer clearanceabove it for freedom .of movementwhen it is desired to assume a standing posture overthe. bicycle for a temporarystop. It has, thereiore occurred to me that a bicycle seat should be instantly adjustable in. height from efiicient ridingvposi- :tion toagloweredclearance position at will, and

also readily. capable of again being restored to riding position when desired.

After duly considering this problem, I .have succeeded in producing a height-adjusting device for.a bicycle seat which avoids the. mentioned disadvantages and fulfill the foregoing objects; as will now be particularly described.

Hence, in the practice of my invention, and referring again to the drawing, with particular reference to Figure l, a portion of thexframe'of a "bicycle is shown including a hollowsaddle post 6,

the upper horizontal brace '11 and one of therear inclined bracesfi running down to the rear Wheel, the*upper end of the saddle postii being rearwardly split and having the rearwardly-extend ing lugs 9 (one shown) with a clamping screw .lii for drawing the lugs together and thereby con stricting the upper end of the hollow post 8. Into isv fitted a downwardly-extending sleeve or tube I! closed at the lower end by means of a screw plug l2 upon which rests. a long compression spring l3 supporting the lower endof a slidable solid saddle post Hi which.:at the upper end has a forwardly-directed seat-su.p-

porting end I5 to'which a seat or saddle; generally indicated at .18 in broken lines, maybe secured. At the. upper end the sleeve i! has an integral fiangedportion l I beneath which is fixed .a plate I8 by welding, brazing or otherwise. at-

tachingthe same permanently in place. The

.:plate I8 just mentioned is adapted to rest upon the upper end of the hollow saddle post 6 and whenthelugs 9 are clamped together by means of screw 10, the hollow post will also grip the sleeve II and retain the same in fixed position on said post with the upper flanged. portion 1! c'projecting above the latter.

wzUponiithe. forward portion of the mentioned 3 upper plate It is pivotally mounted a lever, generally indicated at l9, by means of a pivot screw or bolt 20 extending through both the lever l9 and plate I8 with the lever provided forwardly of the pivot 29 .with a lever arm 2| extending in substantial parallelism above the horizontal brace 1 of the bicycle frame, while rearwardly of the pivot 28 the lever has a rearwardly-extending locking lug 22 terminating in a springattachment finger 23 to which a spring 24 is connected at one end thereof, while the other end of said spring is connected to a rearwardlyextending attachment finger 25 upon the rear of plate I8. The rearwardly-extending locking lug 22 has a working edge 26 extending horizontally into a slot 2! in the flange H and normally extends into a notch 28 in the intermediate portion of one side of the solid saddle post It, as best 4 seen in Figure 4, for positively supporting this post in the raised position for proper riding height of the saddle or seat it. On the opposite side of the lever l9, with respect to th locking lug 22, is a stop finger or lug 29 serving to engage against the sleeve li when lever arm 2| is shifted in the direction of the arrow 38 for the purpose of clearing the working edge 26 of the locking lug 22 out of notch 28 in the solid post M, the stop finger 29 then serving to prevent undue operation of the lever beyond the desired clearance point just mentioned. Adjacent to the lower end of solid saddle post !4 is a terminal notch 3|, while in a raised position upon the same post only a short distance below the saddlesupporting end I5 is a further notch 32, the purpose of which will be immediately explained.

The lever is is pivoted by means of pivot to the plate |8 which is naturally rigidly fixed upon the sleeve clamped in hollow post 6. The lever may be shifted about pivot 28 by moving arm 2| thereof in the direction of arrow 38, as shown in Figure 5, when the working edge 26 will be freed from notch 28 in the solid post Hi, and the weight of the rider on seat it will then suifice to lower the solid post it in opposition to spring I3 until the working edge 26 of locking 111g 22 will enter the upper notch 32 of the post in the lowest position of seat Hi, so that it is possible for the rider to stand up with the feet on the road in order to alight from the bicycle. lhe spring 24 tends to draw the rearward spring-attachment fingers 23 and 25 together and thereby urge the working edge 26 of lug 22 into whatever notch may be adjacent to the working edge so that as the post IQ is for the moment rising or falling, the working edge 25 will snap into position either in the upper notch 32 or the lower notch 28, as the case may be. Assuming that the locking lug 22 has the working edge 26 thereof occupying notch 32 in the lowered position of seat IE, it is easily possible for a rider to swing one leg over the bicycle and place his feet on the pedals and start riding while the seat is in this low position. While thus riding or at the beginning of the ride, it is possible to raise the seat by merely knocking lever arm 2| with the right knee to disengage locking lug 22 from notch 32 and with the rider allowing the main portion or" his weight to rest on the pedals in order to allow spring l3 to raise the solid post M, the locking edge 26 of lug 22 will immediately snap into notch 28 of post it, when the seat will be in the raised riding position for normal comfortable and convenient pedaling. The lower notch 3| is present in order to prevent the post [4 from being ejected by spring l3 from the hollow post sleeve II, should the lug 22 pass notch 28 by ac cidental operation. When the rider is about to alight from the bicycle, it is merely necessary to knock the right knee into the lever arm 2| and this arm will immediately cause the Working edge 26 to withdraw from notch 28 and then if the rider will allow his entire weight to rest on the seat It, th post I4 will depress spring I3 and lug 22 will then engage the other upper notch 32, when the seat will again be in the low position so that the feet may be placed on the road, both to stop the bicycle from moving forwardly further, and also to alight from the same. The low position of the seat is also useful for starting" when first riding off from the starting point, after which the seat may be raised during the course of the ride.

' 'Within the upper flange portion ii, the sleeve may have the bore thereof therein made square or rectangular, as best seen in Figure 5, while the entire length-oi the solid post it! below the horizontal saddle-supporting portion |5 thereof may be correspondingly square in cross-section to prevent axial rotation of this post while freely allowing longitudinal movement thereof to raise or lower the seat.

Manifestly, variations may be resorted to and parts and features may be modified or used without others within the scope of the appended claims.

Having now fully described my inventionl claim:

l. A seat height-adjuster for a bicycle seat or saddle, including a sleeve adapted to be inserted into the hollow saddle post of said bicycle, the sleeve having a closed bottom and containing a compression spring, external means upon the upper end of said sleeve for normally resting upon the upper end of said hollow saddle post, there being a horizontally disposed slot extending inwardly of and through said sleeve adjacent the upper end, a lever pivotally mounted uponsaid sleeve having a forwardly extending operating lever arm upon one end and a locking lug upon the other end thereof extending through said slot, a solid saddle post having a substantially horizontal saddle-supporting portion upon the upper end of the same and extending with its other end slidably down into said hollow saddle post and upon the latter end having at least two notches spaced apart and adapted to be individually engaged by the locking lug of said lever to determine a high pedaling position for said saddle and alow stopping position thereof, and a spring biasing said locking lug into engagement with either one of said notches.

2. A seat height-adjuster for a bicycle seat or saddle, including a sleeve adapted to be inserted into the hollow saddle post of said bicycle, a closed bottom upon the sleeve and a compression spring within the latter resting on said closed bottom, a plate fixed about the upper end of said sleeve and adapted normally to rest on the upper end of said hollow saddle post, a solid saddle post having a substantially horizontal saddle-supporting-portion upon the upper end thereof and 'extending with its other end slidably down into said hollow saddle post and upon the latter end having at least two notches spaced apart, a lever pivotally mounted upon the plate, a forwardly-extending operating arm upon the lever and a locking lug extending rearwardly at one side of the saddle post in a side slot in said sleeve and adapted to engage in either one of the two notches in said solid saddle post, a pair of spring-attachment 5 fingers projecting individually from said plate and from said locking lug rearwardly of the pivot mounting of said lever on said plate, a tension spring connected to the fingers and biasing the locking lug into said notches, the latter individually determining the high pedaling position for said saddle and the low stopping position thereof, and a stop finger on the lever on the opposite side with respect to the locking lug for limiting the pivotal movement of said lever, and a fixed guide means upon the upper end of said sleeve for guiding the lower end of the solid saddle post and preventing axial rotation but allowing longitudinal movement thereof.

MILLARD VICK.

6 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 640,483 McKenzie Jan. 2, 1900 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 418,079 France Sept. 19, 1910 528,023 France Aug. 6, 1921 34,431 Denmark Apr. 15, 1925 

